Dead End Kid

Album: Sinematic (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Dead End Kid" was an expression that was around when Robbie Robertson was growing up - it refers to someone who gets in trouble all the time. Many thought the teenage Robertson was heading that way. He explained to Uncut magazine: "Part of my family came from the Indian Six Nations reserve. It was really tough to get anywhere if that was your background. On the other side, there were mostly Jewish gangsters. Even when I joined Ronnie Hawkins when I was 16, I clearly remember him telling me, 'You'd be doing time if I hadn't hired you.' I would laugh and go, 'Oh no, no.' But there were definitely a good chance that I could have just gone down the wrong street one night."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Tony Joe White

Tony Joe WhiteSongwriter Interviews

The writer of "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Polk Salad Annie" explains how he cooks up his Louisiana swamp rock.

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired MenSong Writing

Bowie's "activist" days of 1964 led to Ziggy Stardust.

Female Singers Of The 90s

Female Singers Of The 90sMusic Quiz

The ladies who ruled the '90s in this quiz.

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song Titles

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song TitlesMusic Quiz

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have some rather unusual song titles - see if you can spot the real ones.

Brenda Russell

Brenda RussellSongwriter Interviews

Brenda talks about the inspiration that drove her to write hit songs like "Get Here" and "Piano in the Dark," and why a lack of formal music training can be a songwriter's best asset.

Victoria Williams

Victoria WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

Despite appearances on Carson, Leno and a Pennebaker film, Williams remains a hidden treasure.